We Built This Because We Lived It.

The story behind ZERO! Pain and Ink Life Inc.

It Started in the Chair.

Justin Gorelik has been in and around tattoo culture his entire adult life — as an artist, a collector, and someone who genuinely loves what tattooing means to the people who choose it. He's sat in the chair himself. He's watched clients grip the armrests, tighten their jaws, cut sessions short, or avoid placements they actually wanted because the pain felt like too much.

The numbing options on the market were either ineffective, messy to work with, or loaded with ingredients that made artists' jobs harder. The good stuff — the stuff that actually worked — was hoarded by studios and not available to regular clients. That felt wrong.

So he built something better. ZERO! Pain was formulated from the ground up as a medical-grade topical analgesic specifically designed for tattoo application: fast-acting, long-lasting, and clean enough that artists actually prefer their clients use it. It reduces redness, swelling, and bleeding — creating a better canvas for the artist and a more comfortable session for the client. It's a win-win. That's not marketing language. That's what happened when you design a product for both sides of the needle.

When an MLB Rookie of the Year Calls It His Secret Weapon

Jackson Merrill didn't stumble onto ZERO! Pain through a sponsored deal. He found it the way most of our best customers do — through someone who already used it and couldn't stop talking about it. When a 22-year-old outfielder for the San Diego Padres, who plays 162 games a season and treats his body like a performance instrument, trusts a product for his tattoo sessions — that means something.

Jackson is a tattooed athlete who understands that recovery and comfort aren't signs of weakness — they're signs of professionalism. We're proud to work with him not because of his name, but because of why he chose the product.

Artist-Owned. Scottsdale-Based. Built for the Chair.

Ink Life Inc. is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. We are an artist-owned company — not a supplement brand, not a beauty conglomerate, not a drop-shipper with a logo. Everyone involved in this company has spent time around tattoo culture. That matters when you're formulating something that goes on skin right before a needle does.

Our products are developed with tattoo artists in mind first. If the artist loves using it — if it makes their work easier, their sessions longer, and their clients calmer — then the client benefits too. That's the standard every formula gets held to.

What We Believe

Pain tolerance is not a personality trait. The idea that suffering through a tattoo makes it more meaningful is a myth that keeps people from getting work they love, on placements they want, in sessions long enough for artists to do their best work.

ZERO! Pain exists because we believe every client deserves to sit comfortably. We believe every artist deserves a client who isn't flinching on every pass. And we believe a pain-free experience doesn't cheapen the art — it honors it.

That's the company. That's the product. That's why we're here.